cannabisnews.com: Operation Green Thunder Operation Green Thunder Posted by FoM on September 18, 2000 at 15:25:05 PT Force takes to skies to root out marijuana growers Source: Dallas Morning News Looking through high-powered binoculars, Sgt. Rick Easterwood thought he had spotted a marijuana patch in wooded land. "I was looking at that fuzzy critter," Sgt. Easterwood said to the pilot, who maneuvered the Texas National Guard helicopter for a closer look at the plot a few miles from this northeast Texas city.From a couple of hundred feet above ground, Sgt. Easterwood, with the Texas Department of Public Safety narcotics service, said: "Nope, it's not." Sgt. Easterwood, other DPS officers and local authorities worked with the Texas National Guard last week in Operation Green Thunder, a marijuana eradication program operating in various Texas regions, including the Panhandle, during the peak marijuana season. The program was based out of Paris last week."We provide the helicopter support, and we take a spotter, which is normally a law enforcement officer who knows about the indicators of marijuana cultivation and know what the marijuana looks like," said Capt. Sergio Villarreal, a National Guard spokesman. "And of course, our pilots through the years have learned those indicators."The Texas National Guard's eradication efforts are part of its Texas Counter-drug Support Program, started in 1989, Capt. Villarreal said. The eradication operation typically lasts about 19 weeks and provides one or two pilots at particular locations.The Texas National Guard pilots joke about T-shirts they have, reading, "If you grow it, we will come" – a play on words from the film Field of Dreams.Another T-shirt in the collection sports the motto, "You grow it, We mow it."When marijuana plants are spotted from a helicopter, authorities on the ground are notified so they can move in for the seizure. The helicopter, meanwhile, hovers above to monitor activity, officials said. Arrests are made if growers are found at the location. Authorities say Operation Green Thunder works. They point to decreasing drug cultivation they spot from the air."This particular program ... has been so successful that every year there is less and less patches of marijuana out here," Capt. Villarreal said. "One, it's either because the marijuana growers are growing a lot less and they're growing indoors, or they're moving to another area, maybe to another state."Meanwhile, the state reports that it is seizing more marijuana – from all sources, including air surveillance – than ever. According to DPS, 1,110,156 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed in Texas in the first six months of the year. That compares to 326,820 plants seized last year, and 271, 038 plants seized in 1998.DPS officials say eradication efforts are forcing some growers to harvest earlier, not plant as much or plant indoors.Eradication programs also have been conducted in other states. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, 6,686 marijuana plants have been eradicated so far this year in Oklahoma. Last year, 18,814 plants were removed in Oklahoma. In Arkansas, 77,000 plants have been taken this year, close to last year's 79,000."In the years of the drought, we don't find as many patches as we used to find. And the patches we find are not as large," said Duane Steen, DPS narcotics captain for northeast Texas.Capt. Steen said that DPS, which also works with DEA, has its own helicopters searching for marijuana. They have been particularly successful near the Red River, an important water source for crops. "To grow marijuana requires a great deal of water, and in years that you get a lot of water ... they would plant their crops much like a farmer would do," Capt. Steen said. "When it gets real hot outside in Texas and the other plants start to get a brown or dull color, the marijuana plants are usually bright green, and they're more visible. You can see them."Marijuana plants are most visible when they grow between 4 to 15 feet high, officials said. Some authorities said they have found plants as tall as 20 feet.Eradication usually focuses on cultivated crops, not on wild marijuana. Cultivated crops normally contain more tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, and command a higher street price. Authorities said they typically find cultivated crops in the northeast Texas region.When a pilot and spotter are in the air, they look below for lime-green colored plants that have a "Christmas-trees effect" when seen from above, said a Texas National Guard pilot, who asked not to be identified for security reasons."You learn what to look for and where to look," said the pilot, who has participated in eradication operations for several years.Last Thursday, Sgt. Easterwood and the pilot flew at about 500 feet above the Red River. Sgt. Easterwood pointed out properties where officials have made seizures."Most of the serious growers will take precautions" to keep their crops out of sight, he said."They [growers] used to put it all over the place, but they now put it near their homes."And while last week's flights yielded a handful of plants, Sgt. Easterwood said his job is like that of an angler on the lake."It's like fishing; you're not going to catch a fish everyday," he said.Published: September 18, 2000Author: Brenda Rodriguez, The Dallas Morning NewsSource: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2000 The Dallas Morning News Contact: letterstoeditor dallasnews.com Address: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265 Fax: (972) 263-0456 Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Forum: http://forums.dallasnews.com:81/webx Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/ Related Articles:Pot Warriorhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7047.shtmlSan Bernardino Pot Bust Linked To County http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7036.shtmlRaid Yields Plantshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7015.shtmlWeeding Out Pot Farms From Aloft http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6950.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on September 19, 2000 at 16:41:19 PT Every Pot head should save seeds and plant them every year. Throw them in the ditch or behind a police station.:)Few years ago in Denver, someone planted few pot plants front of the police station and when they found out, they were so mad. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Dan B on September 19, 2000 at 06:48:34 PT Bring 'Em Inside, Folks! "DPS officials say eradication efforts are forcing some growers to harvest earlier, not plant as much or plant indoors."Interesting. They're forcing the growers indoors, thereby increasing the chances of growers learning better growing techniques, like hydroponics, CO2, etc. This should make for higher quality marijuanain the state of Texas.Maybe we should thank them for doing their part to stamp out bad weed. If I were a grower, I'd plant half of my crops outdoors just to throw them off track. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Phyro on September 19, 2000 at 01:44:51 PT NO Brain Power ??? If they alrady know most good grower's are goning HI Teck growing op .........Then let the NG go back to playing GI joe!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Morgan on September 18, 2000 at 15:51:01 PT Body count It's interesting seeing these people count how many weeds they've pulled out of the ground.I remember watching the TV news every night as a kid (usually during dinner) and every night they would have the body count from Vietnam. And every night we (the U.S.) had killed more of them then they killed of us. We were winning!Of course we weren't, and didn't, and were eventually made to quit and head home with our tails between our legs. This story is about to repeat itself.************************ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: